A78 Forged carbon intake runner. Number 1 of 10 items to get the Arete supercar running.

[@BuilderCreator]

Thanks for all the input on the finish of this part. I have considered emphasizing the hammered (textured look) for something "New," but don't have the time to fix that if it fails. So, I will be finishing the runners off as a smooth surface over the forged carbon.

[@squishyxout]

Was just looking back over a few parts of the Arete for conversation, and we all noticed the same thing here. Sir, where was your respirator? We like what you do! Don't shorten it lol

[@charlieg9559]

I love the forged look, but I think that the uneven top coat definitely detracts from the overall appearance.

[@myopinion69420]

agreed. the carbon looks awesome but I think the top coat needs to be sanded down and maybe sprayed with satin or gloss clear to get a nice smooth finish on top of that carbon.

[@Metaldetectiontubeworldwide]

Indeed , well said

[@supdus]

couldnt click fast enough - best of 2022 for you and your family

[@supdus]

secondly - i think that the intake would look cleaner if smoothed and polished - you are building a master piece - something that does not look like a garage build. If all parts you make have the quality of have been built in a factory it just adds to the over all. Please dont feel need to respond to the people questioning your methods - you clearly have a skill set that does not warrant validation. If someone is saying you are doing something wrong - or should be addressed differently - read the response and you chose if you need to apply those comments to your product or if you just need to disregard and carry on. Not responding to other comments should not be required.

[@SkylarkCamperAdventures]

CNC and 3D modelling may be all well and good but at least you can say your way it’s totally hand built which means something in today’s modern manufacturing world, it means there are still people who have the skills to produce these beautiful machines. Well done and carry on, look forward to 2022.

[@vitordelima]

3D modelling and manufacturing a mold takes much more time and effort than what he did.

[@niek7808]

I think that making it smooth makes it look more cohesive and better in my opinion.

[@matthias5149]

Always appreciate your handy solution. To the CAD topic, I‘m doing CAD for automotive since years and I wouldn‘t recommend it for this project. The time consumtion alone would take longer than to build. You always forget something even on small assemblies. And the one thing which applies at least for me you over or underestimate size, dimensions and stability. So i agree on your best practice, make a rough plan and improvise on the fly

[@BuilderCreator]

Exactly!

[@ashleybent7015]

Your attention to detail and patience is amazing.

[@JellyJam6123]

There is no craftsmanship in using the computer and pushing a few buttons. Your way is a work of art!

[@BuilderCreator]

Well, we would love the accuracy of components from a CNC system, but not the cost of the CNC investment. Ha!

[@lancemillward1912]

There are lots of ways to skin a cat. It's your vision and your labour. I'm enjoying this series

[@andrewmullen4003]

Personally I think you are doing an amazing job, your design and problem solving is second to none, really enjoying this build, keep up the good work! I prefer the smooth and shiny polished look.

[@BuilderCreator]

I'll put up a picture after it is refinished to smooth and glossy!

[@TheFilimonD]

Great to see some Arete progress! I binged all your videos this past summer and whenever a new one comes out I am very excited. In my opinion the uneven surface looks odd next to all the smooth surfaces of the metals. I would go with your feeling of smoothing it out.

[@BuilderCreator]

Feelings confirmed. Thanks!

[@Jmdeclue]

I can’t decide on the final look, not that my opinion matters much. It may look great the way it is or it may look better smoothed out after the rest of the engine and engine bay comes together. 🤷‍♂️ As always, thanks for taking the time to document the project for us gear heads and engineers.

[@BuilderCreator]

Your opinion does matter . . leaning toward finishing it out smooth. Glad your enjoying the build(s).

[@BillionaireMindSetValhalla]

I love your hand crafting and true craftsmanship You are a true raw talented person ❤️🔥🔥🔥 Thanks for sharing your journey

[@Dudeinatube]

First 🚀 Always excited hearing from you. Best of luck always!

[@aarondcmedia9585]

Love the blue tint. Like the look of forged carbon. Not keen on a bumpy surface finish, and all the other surfaces inside and outside the engine bay are smooth / flat so I'd stick with that aesthetic.

[@scottc78]

Very fun to watch a part made from start to finish. I would have loved to see a little more footage of the completed piece from other angles at the end of the video too! Happy New Year!

[@BuilderCreator]

Perhaps on the finished car I will do a whole video of up close pans, for those who may never get to see it in person.

[@david929190]

I understand working on the floor. But a fold out table is a godsend for not kneeling for hours. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@BuilderCreator]

Getting up and down off the floor keeps me young. . . . maybe I could just clean off a workbench? Na, I would get to old and stiff!

[@david929190]

@@BuilderCreator Stay young! Also the part looked great but I think the smooth surface looks more finished.

[@Stoneface_Garage]

Thanks for sharing your experimental methods - I am learning plenty for my own builds. I think the hammered finish looks out of place with the rest of the engine compartment aesthetic, but this part will look great with a more traditional, flat matte carbon look. You might consider cutting a temporary "trap door" in the unseen bottom area the main body to aid in the gunk clean out. The smoother the inside finish is the better the airflow will be. Overall excellent work as usual!

[@BuilderCreator]

The trap door will be my last resort if the water soak doesn't release the PVA and all the finish layers.

[@chrispickard3337]

I very much enjoy your methods of fabrication! I work in aviation and use all those fancy methods.. but when I get home and mess with my projects, I prefer and use the ways you do it!

[@BuilderCreator]

Plus at home our budgets for those fancy machines is a bit less. Ha!

[@cchello2029]

Looks great, i love forged carbon! I think smoothing the bumps would be even better 👍

[@jetink600]

Happy new year. I'm glad to see more Arete and even happier that we now have a countdown for it. Keep doing your thing. Personally i would be hesitant to even consider the advice of someone who hasn't walked the path that I'm walking, especially in a YT comment section lol. As for the intake i think it looks great as is especially when it's sitting in the engine bay. I say keep moving forward and see how you feel about it once it's running and you have everything else in place.

[@BuilderCreator]

Anyone going into youtube should know what the comments section really is - Some great connections with great people and the other comments. Ha!

[@vca73]

Happy New Year. Smoothing it out, that's what you should do imo. Thanks for the great content.

[@zaknefain100]

Most people I've met and worked with, even those who understand the manufacturing chain, don't truly understand one-off prototyping. I cut my teeth as a Mechanical Engineer in a prototyping environment where we designed, made and assembled our own work. Very different mindset from production product development where everything is controlled (models, prints, documentation, etc) and qualified (inspection, QC) as the project progresses. Production manufacturing and even, 'prototype for production' manufacturing design/build is a different process on many levels and is what most people know and understand. So I'm not too surprising that the CNC, 3D modeling, etc., type questions are coming your way. Keep up the good work!

[@BuilderCreator]

Yep! Funny how many comments I get from people who "know" how these parts should have been made; almost always by the factory production method and million dollar molds. :) Thanks for the comment and the views.

[@zaknefain100]

@@BuilderCreator Yeah, don't take it to heart. They probably just finished a video about how Koenigsegg makes their CF components for the Jesko.

[@zwing300]

The single most impressive thing you do that amazes me is how you keep your hands so clean.

[@BuilderCreator]

They say it takes you 20 years to become one of the worlds leading masters of a skill. . .started as a child not liking sticky things on my hands. 50 years later I am the master!! Ha!

[@zwing300]

@@BuilderCreator I've been a millwork/custom fab guy for over 25 years and I still haven't figured it out...I'm impressed. Keep up the good work.

[@sochyvonnnora6035]

I love you do things the simple way. It easy to understand. It gives me hope. Keep up the good work sir

[@BuilderCreator]

"Simple ways for simple minds," seems to sum up my capacities ! ;)

[@_.unknown._.brain._]

I have an untold amount of respect for people who choose to hand make every part of their project(s), that includes you 💯👌 can't wait to see it move under it's own power. Also, I prefer the rough texture of the carbon fiber, looks great.

[@BuilderCreator]

Thanks. Like love and charity we can have untold amounts, give it away, and still have untold amounts left.

[@ncofab46]

Amazing work. But I wish this video came out a month ago never thought of using screws to assemble everything. Thank you my project is going to be built quicker and stronger thanks to your video.

[@BuilderCreator]

Your welcome. I wish someone would put out a video that would make my project quicker and stronger. Ha!

[@Jb001jb]

Amazing stuff. I ‘m addicted to these kind of video’s. Metal fabrication too.

[@souvikdey9178]

Wish you a Happy 2022. I like smooth look but I am impatient to see the car rolling, so go ahead with the forged look.

[@Klabauterbub]

Your project is absolutley amazing. So extremely well thought out. It looks very professional! I'm really looking forward to the next videos. Warm greetings from Germany

[@earlye]

Obviously the choice is more yours than mine. Brave of you to ask for input. If I was building a supercar, I would see the dimples on the surface and they would eat at me. I would also have so many sub-projects to complete that I would accept the imperfect lines and vow to come back to it "someday."

[@-DEATHSTROKE]

I do like how it turned out sir, but I think smoothing it out for the overall supercar look. Love your work. 🇦🇺👍🏻

[@leedyp]

It’s still a one off work of art that you have hand built

[@MyFunkymonkey7]

The part looks great. Glad to see things are coming along, you are an amazing content creator!

[@alexisstarsmith1477]

As said by others - don't make it pretty, if it works & solid - done! Leave it lumpy hand crafted!! Less the question of "you created that?" Keep going my friend Peace, love & blessings Lexi

[@cooldog6807]

Your channel and this whole series is awesome!!! I’m excited to see what’s to come!

[@BuilderCreator]

Thanks. Glad you enjoy it!

[@williejack3695]

that is so cool, love the way you show the whole process

[@clydecox2108]

Okay in my mind this would have seemed impossible. Once again you are the freakin man.

[@clydecox2108]

Oh and happy new year

[@BuilderCreator]

A Freakin man . . Is that a compliment. Ha! Happy new year to you as well!

[@Ch3ckman]

Thanks for your videos. I enjoy watching some that is driven.

[@BuilderCreator]

Glad you are enjoying the videos. Maybe soon, you can watch a video of someone who is driven, actually driving. Ha!

[@kittadyne]

I was going to vote make it smooth, but that very last shot looked really cool. Smooth maybe, but that 3D look of toes overlapping & a woven background behind the random toes looks good. As far as putting a carbon faker skin on non carbon structures, you're composite all the way thru - you're not lying like carbon skins over sheetmetal.

[@427walrus]

Excellent work Sir! Looking forward to more on this build. 👍

[@mr2ferrari]

Love the progress and ingenuity! Nicely done sir 👏

[@DJBLUEPHOENIX]

love the blue tint forged carbon look!

[@54mgtf22]

Looks great. Wonderful skills👍

[@valdasmusvicas1605]

Great content, love your work, always looking forward to see your new videos, you are very talented man. Your channeI deserves way more audience. Keep up with all the hard work you do and I'm sure soon you will inspire more and more people like me. 👍

[@BuilderCreator]

I appreciate that! Inspiring more people is what this channel is about.

[@Saintbow]

I dig the textured look that it has. it gives it a more "custom" appeal versus someone who went to discount Auto to buy ricer parts. Don't change it because some kiddies want it to look like their car from Gran Turismo 4.

[@jonnyringo6338]

Fantastic upload. Thanks

[@k.bellingham8335]

NICE! This car is intended to work, yes? The blue tinge is a nice touch too. Thank you for teaching us to experiment. In the end, if you don't like it, you can change it. You already built an experimental version, the next one, (if you choose to create a next one) will be even better.

[@BuilderCreator]

Second and third rounds always better!! Hope to heavens it will work!

[@Metaldetectiontubeworldwide]

Don´t wanna give you even more work , but i go for a smooth carbon look 👍 Well done sir,☆☆☆☆☆ Grtss from the Netherlands Johny geerts

[@christophermedaris2804]

Your doing great thay just can't take it that your doing it by hand and there buying cars from the lot I think your kicking its butt that car will be sexy as all get out cheers my brother

[@Fosgen]

You've done great work, very smart with dissolving foam with acetone. Keep in mind your air intake. Some silicone particles will find a way to inside of it. Intake goes down all way, therefore these much heavier than air particules have no space to rest on, they will be sucked into cylinders. Something to think about.

[@TheRavnKnight]

brilliant ... awesome one off part ... very well done :)

[@anidiotinaracingcar]

Do you know they they make rolls of "forged carbon" ply? That would make these skinning easier and flatter

[@BuilderCreator]

Although the second main reason so many of us like the "forged Carbon" look is that we can make it from scrap, on the cheap. Ha!

[@Billygoat_27]

I think the carbon fiber looks really cool

[@erichraudebaugh]

I vote for sanding it down and spraying for a smooth finish. That would match what you've done thus far a bit better in my opinion.

[@lvn968]

Another job well done, another step closer to the moment we can hear the sound of a starting engine ! So a good start of 2022 ! (BTW: Sorry if I sound like your Misses, but uhhh shouldn't you wear a mask during all that sanding ? I mean all those tiny tiny particals spreading through the air....?!)

[@alanshearing7515]

Happy New Year🎉. I think on the video it looks very lumpy. Smooth out and maybe a mat Finnish?.

[@woutdewaal9462]

Lovely job!

[@ToolsOutsideTheBox]

Gasoline works great in dissolving the foam as well. I was actually curious if some pearl/pearlescence in the resin would turn the black to blue. It does when you clear coat black paint with it

[@BuilderCreator]

Gasoline and a match even faster! Ha!

[@ademakbas2571]

When we Will see this car complete👏👏wish you success 😉

[@mopedmarathon]

Could you have used a thin weave of glass over the forged carbon to squash it and smooth it with? Obviously if it was thin it would become clear when wetted out. I’m no composites guy though. Iv often wondered if you could wrap a part in tape or cling film (I think it’s called Saran Wrap in the us) to hold the cloth flat and smooth then remove it and give it a sand and flow coat of resin to smooth abs make it shine.

[@BuilderCreator]

Yes, yes and yes! In fact I did use poly film (suran wrap) to consolidate the chopped fiber. A light fiberglass cloth would have worked as well, although you would most likely try to sand away the fiberglass. Even though it goes transparent it may be noticeable were the weave was sanded through, so you would have to make sure you removed it all. Poly tape is used in commercial production of filament wound tubes and cylinders. The winding machine is programed to apply the tape from one end to the other radially, at the perfect tension, to get the consolidation needed.

[@robertferrell8518]

At -1:45 Why didn’t you just split that whole piece in half clean out although poly styrene or the Styrofoam inside the laminate to 2/2 together again seems to me it would be a lot less troublesome to do that..??..

[@tmt329]

Couple thoughts of mine: 1- confirmed on the CAD design. The beauty of CAD is the ability to aid in the process of rePRODUCTION. 2- No cad model means you can’t do several air flow studies to optimize the shape for air flow. Then I realized, you’re already going to have more power than you could probably ever want from this power train, so who cares about optimizing every single flow path?

[@sig5816]

exactly, it's not a 1.5 million dollar car (maybe that even adds to Arete's beauty), but it's as exotic and powerfull as you could possibly want

[@BuilderCreator]

Yep, the true beauty of CAD optimization is knowing that you have the budget for a team of engineers, Ha!

[@billmeldrum2509]

Very cool. 🇨🇦

[@Shadow0fd3ath24]

i dont think people realize just how insanely time consuming CAD is. The guy at my old job had done it for 8 years and is a straight up wizard whos fast as hell with a whole keyboard of macros and he still takes an entire day for a couple intricate parts to be modeled and toleranced correctly for a winch. Many guys can build a tubular front end or an entire mold in that amount of time

[@josephdavis2427]

I don't know how effective blasting abrasives are on carbon fiber...but I do enjoy laying hexagonal or polygon pattern film, that I cut on my plotter, and apply it to non ferrous metal as a stencil. The texture can be almost die cast in appearance if the film is thick enough to withstand the abrasives...so the etching is rather pronounced. I like the hammered look by the way.

[@BuilderCreator]

I've done a lot of glass etching in this way. I'll have to find a part on Arete to etch some pizzaz into! Thanks.

[@Ketta3Sportback]

Hi Jay! I just finished watching your playlist for the Arete Supercar and I have to say I love the build so far, and think its AWESOME to be able to follow your every step along the way. I have never found such a detailed playlist of any build series on the internet before, and I love yours! I do however have 2 things I would like to hear your thoughts on, and maybe you could do a short piece on it? Well, what are your thoughts on the aerodynamics around the intercooler duct? According to my knowledge around fluid dynamics its hard to get good airflow through the IC when its positioned like yours are. What is your take on that? The other thing is that since the rest of the car is perfect looking, why did you make the intake manifold looking so "ruff around the edges"? And I think maybe the 2 bends going vertically down to each turbo is a bit steep, dont you think? The tinted carbon look awesome though Well, keep up the excellent work Jay, and I`m looking forward to the next episode! Best regards Ketil from Norway 👍🏼

[@BuilderCreator]

Hey Ketil! Thanks for joining the elite group of full playlist watchers. ;) Intercooler- It's all packaging. As the deck lid is so low I have lots of horizontal surface area but little vertical area. The option to turn the intercooler vertical would have been to move the fuel cell into the passenger compartment or lengthen out the supply tubes to a defeating length. Perhaps I could have built a custom intercooler of strange proportions (you know I'm not afraid to try new things), but at some point, "getting it done," is as important as final performance. (Without the done, there is no performance. Ha!) The position it did land in is at least only millimeters away from uninterrupted fresh air and will be aided in its abrupt turn by a fan. Lets hope the internal airflow decisions are more beneficial than the external. Air intake- Same problem; packaging! Long sweeping curves would have been nice, but headers are going to occupy that area, where long sweeps would have been, very soon. Even with a heat shield the intake is going to be toasty. Hopefully, as the intake is well oversized, a boundary layer will develop in the odd corners and a smooth flow through the central path of the intake will result. Hope that all makes sense. Again, thanks for supporting the channel.

[@Ketta3Sportback]

@@BuilderCreator Good answers Jay 👍🏼I know packaging is not easy on a car like this, but with a fan and some sort of air channeling sticking out the back you should be able to get good airflow through the IC. Cant wait to see how you build this! What are the heat soak properties for the intake? I guess you will be using ceramic coating on the headers?

[@OneManOperation]

Super work man :)

[@DavidGuyton]

Go ahead and get the Vette, and when the Arete is running, feel free to park either one of them at my house.

[@BuilderCreator]

That would leave a very sad Impala parked at the curb. :(

[@DavidGuyton]

@@BuilderCreator Hahaha even sadder than that is that the Impala now lives with someone else in Texas

[@Stu718]

Happy new year jay. Ill be interested in how easy it is to wash the last of the pattern out of the part. As for cad, two points: first, i struggle to use cad for organic/ergonomic situations, eg, where the build fits around the human, and second, there is sheer pleasure in building by hand.

[@BuilderCreator]

Let me tell you there would be shear pleasure if I could have created this in Solidworks, as my skill level is not there yet, but getting the input data (position of turbos and filter) and the mentioned CNC production left me to the "built by hand" pleasure. Ha!

[@beltdrivetypea6534]

Sweet 👌

[@jakefromstatefarm9721]

I like to think that I invented “forged” carbon. Years ago I worked as a composites tech in an aircraft component composites repair shop. When I completed a repair I would keep the cut offs and scrap prices of the carbon. I used the scraps for my personal projects but they all looked awful because they were made out of chunks of carbon. So one day I decided to chop up the carbon scraps into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks and mix it into the resin. This way my projects would at least have a uniform finish. I do it a little different now but still looks the same. Years later I saw it on high end super cars and couldn’t believe what they charge people to recycle scraps. What a scan they have going on there.

[@BuilderCreator]

Ha Ha! Scam indeed! Or, I guess we could say pure genius marketing. What was once scrap, is now "Forged Carbon," like it came from some dark forge where the last skilled blacksmith painstakingly hammered it into shape from the finest of materials. ;) However, the new acceptance of this dark art, from the marketing, has got me to save all my scrap as well. I wish I could save all my fiberglass scrap for some brilliant finish, but alas, I have two full rolls of random strand Mat yet to use up!

[@jakefromstatefarm9721]

@@BuilderCreator I hear ya, I’m in the middle of building a foam fiberglass flats fishing boat and the scrapes are plentiful. I’ve been saving them for potential accessories, fishing pole holders and stuff like that.

[@micaelantunes7055]

Soo cool! it looks mazing leave it like it is:-)

[@PrrrMission]

This is so cool!

[@divyanshsrivastava7312]

Happy new year sir, I love that Forged Carbon intake and those flanges. By the way, sir is making forged fiberglass possible, and is it even worth it in terms of strength and aesthetics? secondly, what is the approx. weight penalty using an inner layer of fiberglass and outer layer of Carbon fiber? I can't wait to see Arete move. All the best sir 😊👍

[@23chaos23]

google how fiber glass pools are made and the term chopper gun. they dont call it forged fiberglass though lol. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2nNZn6jqtRjlbc

[@BuilderCreator]

If you use a colored or aluminized glass you can create some interesting effects, but pure glass just goes transparent. Weight penalty is whatever the carbon and extra resin weighs as they are purely aesthetic.

[@BrzydkiBurak]

leave it chopped but make it smooth ;)

[@raedshomegarage1064]

absolutely great work and what you did is a piece of art, but I was wondering why you did not go for a simple design of two small air cleaners independent for each turbo, I guess it will be more simple easy to accomplish. what u think?

[@BuilderCreator]

I guess I could have. . .just two different trains of thought. No matter what I do I have more room than someone packing things under the hood of an MG Midget. Ha!

[@raedshomegarage1064]

@@BuilderCreator ha hah haha h

[@benhowe2087]

Sand and smooth the outside. Maybe send out to have extrude hone for the inside? The airflow does not look ideal. As only atmospheric pressure is at this point. It is one of the most critical areas for power production. Any drop at this point is amplified through the system.

[@ginacalabrese3869]

Your approach to one-off composites is similar to how Mike Patey builds his custom airplanes on KZbin. If it works....it works. Any comments saying you're doing it wrong are uninformed.

[@videosvideos6243]

How free will air flow through that complex shape?

[@christophershafer5615]

The blue tinted resin looks super cool! Would it be feasible to wind/wrap the intake shape with CF, similar to header wrapping?

[@BuilderCreator]

Might be interesting to try hand filament winding for the "pressure vessel" look.

[@SkylarkCamperAdventures]

Do you not think the turbo nearest to the intake will get a bit less forced airflow than the other. How about splitting the manifold (you could really clean it out) and add a small baffle to force direct some air towards the first turbo then laminate them back together?

[@BuilderCreator]

I have three times the volume in the runners than the intake port of the turbos. any bottleneck or starvation would come from the air filter.

[@SkylarkCamperAdventures]

@@BuilderCreator that’s fair enough 👍 Looking forward to the rest of the project.

[@larrysorenson4789]

Orange and Blue: University of Illinois. GO Illini!

[@osvaldopinzon9674]

It's really cool what you are doing have one question where do you get your fiber glass and epoxy from?

[@BuilderCreator]

Try USComposites.com

[@SirCumsALot_779]

Looks cool

[@zAvAvAz]

So, what is wrong with CAD? i am that i am, exclusively use C.ardboard A.ssisted D.esign. 🙂

[@BuilderCreator]

Yes, cardboard aided design is alive and well in this shop!

[@martinbeaumier7172]

Keep it as is and move on to the next part

[@AudioFlat]

Is there a particular reason why you haven’t built the headers before building this part?

[@BuilderCreator]

Trying to figure out how to film it, but it is done in my head; does that count?

[@gabipo6985]

cool idea sir does work in fiberglast???

[@BuilderCreator]

If you get a tinted (colored) or aluminised fiberglass, otherwise it just goes transparent.

[@CraigMacdonaldAeon]

imo the regular woven texture of the carbon fibre would look better. Maybe a cut out of "Arete" showing the forged layer through might tie in with the rest of the engine bay aesthetic.

[@BuilderCreator]

That is the problem on a part like this; lining up the cut edges of the woven cloth. You just cant do it without Pre-pregs and sophisticated molds.

[@ardie72]

Sanding it smooth..those irregularities take away from the look

[@andrewjames6911]

I would say the main benefit of cad would be to run simulations to make better parts. There’s no better way to make performance parts like an air intake than to test them and there’s no faster cheaper way to do that than cad. For home projects 3D printing is a great solution to making molds and mock ups. As for the comments about having only part of the car/engine bay modeled in cad there are cheap ways to do 3D scanning. The new IPhone 13 has a LiDAR Scanner that can give a rough estimate on geometry pretty easily and other android phones have these too. I think there is a solidworks plug in that makes it easy to upload as well. I would engage you to take the time to use cad more. I was a part of a SAE Baja team back in university and we modeled an entire car in cad. You really can do it by yourself and the pay off is great when you do. It’s also about honing a skill and you’ll be a better fabricator at the end of it. Good work. Cheers.

[@BuilderCreator]

My Solidworks subscription comes due next month please forward $2200 so that I can keep improving my skills! I would love to have all the full package with FEA and flow/Aerodynamics as well, so scratch that previous price, the full deal is closer to $4500/year.

[@andrewjames6911]

@@BuilderCreator well there are free cad programs out there (fusion 360 comes to mind) as well as simulation tools. Just look around and find something that suits your needs. I know you’re being sarcastic about the price of solidworks but in a professional garage that isn’t exactly a whole lot. Professional mechanics and fabricators lease tools and machines for tens of thousands of dollars a year. I’m not saying that’s necessary for home use but if you want professional tools and professional grade work that’s a reality. Lastly if you already have solidworks why are you complaining about using it? Surely you would want to get your moneys worth.

[@BuilderCreator]

Fusion 360 pulled the plug on me and left me with the decision of buying a full license or moving to Solidworks, I chose Solidworks so that my son could also learn it as well. Now he is employed full time as a designer using Solidworks, so the one year investment was worth it. Software (or any tool) always comes down to the fact that it must make you more money than it costs, or you operate on a very poor business model. My software problem is that I am using them to make money, or there are indeed licensing options for personal use that are mush less expensive. Caught in the middle ground of just leaving entertainment use and not making enough money to justify professional licensing. Oh, I have the money, but my wife vacation would have to disappear. Ha! I guess I will have to build some part old school. :)

[@mshelton65]

Can you post the “slurry” recipe?

[@BuilderCreator]

Measure and mix your epoxy and hardener thoroughly, then add Microsheres (Qcells) until you reach the desired consistency you are after. A honey consistency will coat foam well and a stiffer peanut butter consistency will fill cracks better and not sag or run. Hope that helps.

[@justinfacer621]

Very nice

[@alanv3185]

How many hours have you put into this so far? I'm planning on building my own supercar too and all the body panels are going to be carbon fiber and I'm going to put two hayabusa engines inside of it. I already have the sketches, render and small 3d model done (the easy parts) and I was wondering how long everything else would take. Would 2-3 years be a reasonable timeline, if I work on it for 4-6 hours every day?

[@BuilderCreator]

Your time line is reasonable if you use an existing chassis/drivetrain (At least existing, as in designed and proven, with off the shelf components available.)

[@alanv3185]

@@BuilderCreator Yeah I'll most probably use an existing drivetrain because the most I've ever done is a bunch of cosmetic mods on my car and putting it on lowering springs. Thank you for the response.

[@DJBLUEPHOENIX]

Sand it smooth! and give it another coating and another sand of required! Bring out the rotary polisher!

[@leeb7604]

Do you have a link to the calcium carbonate you used to get the black base?

[@BuilderCreator]

Most calcium carbonate you will find is white, but you can check any Grange farm supply or feed store.

[@ngrader]

4:06 Prototyping vs Production in a nutshell, LUL. a.k.a. 'Murica's greatest engineering feats, were built with cardboard.

[@Scrogan]

I think CAD is more useful when you need accurate calculations of strength. If you wanted to shave as much weight off the Arete as possible then that’s what you’d do. Same for if you wanted to maximise the strength of the tub, or include some sort of flexural adaptive aero or whatever. But for what you’re doing, your intuition appears more than adequate, except for that instance where you needed carbon to strengthen up the pillars.

[@BuilderCreator]

Ouch! Caught in my pandering to the "carbon fiber" crowd.

[@FerrariBoss]

I prefere a sleek smooth aerospace appearance that looks like an intelligent engineer designed it versus a caveman lumpy hammer beaten look. If I were doing this, I would use the foam, sanded to rough shape, then a layer of gauze and drywall plaster. Build up the plaster and sand it to final shape. Then 4 coats of PVA to seal the plaster and allow the plaster to be removed from the subsequent fiberglass layers. Use Acetone to desolve away the internal foam then use a power washer to remove the plaster. It would turn out smooth on the inside and washing away the plaster will remove all the liquid foam residue. You could also seal the plaster with several coats of Shellac, instead of paint, which can be dissolved away at the end with denatured alcohol. You would still use the PVA as a release agent from the fiberglass.

[@BuilderCreator]

Exactly as I have done, less the plaster. The Yellow paint and resin layer will wash out. Not shown in the video, as I expedited getting a video out. I will also pour epoxy resin inside and roll it around making for a glass smooth interior.